Fire

As we near the end of the year . It’s always good to look back – not in anger -as Playwright John Osborne and 90’s Super Band Oasis – would say – but to look back and wonder (bit like Alice ) at all that has come to pass in Spires Land ?

As I sit here by the garden fire bowl . I gaze at the flames and see the blue of creativity leaping back at me . The Sparks of turquoise azure , that appear from the burning embers , to remind me , that if you add some special powder to a simple heated log – it will spark like MAGIC . Chemical reactions are everywhere , including the Drama Space.

Spires is always about the people who make up its’ yearly registers . Our Theatre Scene is directed by the passion, loyalty , courage and commitment of those within it .

Those bespoke PACE members who want to go – by a different name .

A few who come here to achieve more for themselves , more for their future

Yet ” What’s in a name ? ” – as Juliet declares from her Verona balcony : A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet ?

But I think , here , we cultivate a rather rosier drama species.

Something with its own unique provenance , with its own sweeter way of growing , way of brighter blooming under often more direct and organic conditions.

I think our Spires Roses , rise magnificently each yearly-end of growing season; and this very particular Juliet , high up in her artisticallycrafted balcony , thinks she would rather keep her own named way of doing things , than give it up , for any other ….

Yes , it’s been a creative year for my Spires Theatre Roses , just as I like it to be ?????

There’s a saying :

Give :

Pink Roses for Romance
Red for Love’s Passion
Yellow for the End of an Affair …

And though this yellow rose image , blooming beautifully over my garden trellis, might symbolise to some an end ; I think it is only the end of this year’s concentrated work , blood , sweat , Sprains , pulls , twists , hard knock life messages , highs , lows and ubiquitous drama tears …

The end of the things that make us stronger , more rounded Individuals and Performers , with clearer goals and more honest personal insight ; the end of more difficult and challenging processes to test our Endurance , our Determination , our Ambition.

The FinaleRetrospective of this year’s creative Spires Road , from August 2015 – June 2016 .

Finally seeing your passionate effort paying off or maybe just realising, somewhere down the road to now, you let something slip and are eager to pull it back on track again.

We are all guilty of letting things slip . Letting personal standards drop a little when the going gets tougher . But it’s not the slip that matters , but how you make yourself return onto the Road, that’s going to make a difference in the long run .

This Road , ” the famous road less travelled in PACE ” only works for a FEW eventually .

There comes a point the drama-signals get confused , the theatre terrain more difficult to negotiate , the time it takes to make the journey worth while here , a stopping point for those with time issues .

This Road will end for many of you by summer’s end .

By choice or by necessity .

But how you exit the SPACE we share is so important . The way you leave the building you have been such a part of . And that’s only something you can work out for yourself . Don’t let bitterness Mark your departure card . Exit on better terms to safe guard good memories of this place forever.

The Spires Theatre Road will “carry on regardless” . It is resilient , diverse , multi faceted and ever changing . It goes with the flow of its journeys and passengers.

It will carry its small number of PACE travellers on to where they need or want to get to . It goes as Robert Frost also says : on…

This Spires Life will continue to provide breathtaking moments along the way , wonderful high points to feel on top of the world from , dips and peaks to improve personal stamina , the much needed camaraderie of fellow travellers who you meet along the way , epiphanal cultural experiences to blow open your mind .

“This Road by a Spires name” will always smell as sweet , as the sweet smell of its followers success .

BUDDIE knows our scent …he gets it …and eats it up …

A lion Roar started this year and it will close it .

Taking immense PRIDE in what you achieve here, from year in to year out, is EVERYTHING.

PAISLEY City of CULTURE 2021 Bid show , was the first roar of success we had in the Abbey in October 2015.

A Performance success that will now be taking 8 of your Spires Number to the Westminster Houses of Parliament in London in July this year .

Don’t I always tell you :

” …play magnificently , show them what young people can really do …because you never know where these little one-off performances might eventually lead! ”

Well this time Our Bid BUDDIE is taking us to one of the most iconic buildings in the Western world.

To perform in front of 200 MP’s , elected officials and the Secretary for Culture . We are going to be VIPs for a day . But what a day !!

Who’d have thought these famous secret Vaulted Doors would open for us and let us take a rare life-changing peek inside the corridors of real power !

Paisley has a Heart of Youth at is core who can also now effect a positive change for their Town’s powerful good .

PACE is unique in this and no where else can offer you such diversity of Performance opportunity , such invested life coaching through a different creative approach ; an approach that actively resists the temptation to harness its “grander popular success” purely on commercial appeal .

But then , I’m biased . I’m forever biased in your favour?

Isn’t that a great word to use , to describe our Road here ? Doesn’t it just stand for everything we Aspire to achieve anywhere our roads take us ?

At the moment YOU are potentially prepping for the biggest creative drive of your peer styled Spires Education-Life.

And I think …it’s going as it should be going : up and down – the old roller coaster of emotions whizzing you round scarier bends and loop the loops and hauling you up massive high hills to plummet, hands waving in the air , screaming down and over the other side …

And I know YOU are , some of you , still hanging on for dear life .

Wildly excited maybe ? but also scared, anxious , panicking I imagine about what is finally going to take place on June 22nd /23rd and 24th this year ?

But it’s okay . It’s normal to still feel scared at this time of year , despite the massive turnarounds many have experienced this past SPIRES year ; the moments of drama and theatre- epiphanies and the highs and deep Lows of project processes .

It’s all right to want to do your best and worry you might let others down . It’s all right : because you won’t . YOU WON’T.

We’ve had it all this past year . We’ve gone through a lot – together . We’ve seen the STAGE LIGHT and SHONE BRIGHTER.

So now , as I can only watch you from the Spires sidelines , it’s all right for me also , to worry – to still worry about you.’

That’s as your TheatreMoM – That’s natural , isn’t it .

I worry maybe that you will take the foot off the pedal .

That social will once again distract those more prone to weaker focus .

That maybe you will became complacent and assume you know what to do (without putting your foot firmly down on the gas ! )

I worry my little swans won’t remember to use their newly feathered wings and forget how to really fly

I worry my braver warriors will turn their backs on the prospect of yet another drama campaign and give up the fight

I worry those outside in the Spires Cold won’t find their way back inside our space , to warm themselves by our magic Fire

…I worry , because that’s who I am , despite my telling you all year ” not to ” ! ?

Maybe it’s just because at this time of year . I have to take that necessary back-seat and watch you drive away from me , drive forward .

Learner-plates off and onto whatever road you chose to follow .

As your road instructor , If I’ve taught you anything this year , maybe it’s to always trust your instinct in drama . Go with your gut and you will never be wrong.

Teaching Acting or Performance to young people , isn’t as easy as you might think .

But I’m a firm believer in ” unlock the individual , unlock the performer ” . The key is right there within you . I just have to encourage you to turn it round .

I think a few more of you this season have broken free of whatever held you back before .

I think a handful more have the key in their hand and are still wondering whether they want to ever use it ?

I think to get any more from this PACE method – you will have to crack that combination . Otherwise throw this key away and find another before it’s too late . Locked doors will sat locked till you want to open them , where-ever .

Verona placed at the end of any PACE year carries its own pressure .

Maybe the pressure of having loads of you , suddenly going through exams , was one .

… but I think the pressure to create 2 better HOUSE choruses this year , was quite another

Admittedly some Spires suffered this side of the year because the Spires Theatre Scene focus shifted to ensuring another generation of composite performers was coming through the system .

The CULTURE Club started but paused
The ODYSSEY ship launched but sadly returned to PORT with heavy weather warnings
The MODULE conundrum forever changing its dimension
The PRACTICAL Class attached firmly to the Practical Performance SPACE and now where else .
The SHOW promise reneged on or down sized .

Yes , I realise some of you suffered and we may see some casualties unfortunately from this ; some inevitable untimely departures from the Spires playing field .

So to the “Spires People” who got caught up in my demanding struggle to create ” the New “, to establish better Verona Casts for 2016 – please accept my heart felt apology .

I had to make a decision early in February, for the good of the end of this Year .

I had to look to those Spires Members, who could give me more this Season I terms of commitment .

I wish I could have manufactured more Time to work with you all , in other small creative ways. To have given you the odd session to keep you brimmed full of Spires enthusiasm .

But the Nature of Project Rehearsals is a fickle Beast.

You can never predict each show journey , or the complex make-up of the people on it. All you can hope to do is complete the experience for the good of the ethos you strive for

My Ethos is simple : inspire to aspire . And always to surround you with people who are going to lift you higher . You know the qoute …I’ve blogged It here a 1000 times before .

But here is one to end on :

It’s so very true . Not just for Spires Theatre , but for wherever your Road is going to lead you .

Positive attracts positivity . Maybe that’s why I get annoyed at times when I see the odd negative vibe floating in and round the building corridors

I want it a safe space , not an unsafe one to come to ” be ” in .

I don’t want this to be HIGH SCHOOl . It’s hard enough for you all there . Not least of all from S1-S3.
Exams are hard , but at least they get you somewhere better , after the struggle is by .

The damage that can be done to personality between those early secondary years is something that is hard to get over for, a very long time . Social Media has only made it even harder .

I read an article recently that said that young people between first year and middle high school are under more psychological pressure than many Captians of Industry of Multi Billion Companies .

How you navigate those first to third seas is all down to 11-14 year olds , and maybe an app for a braver soul .

The 11-14 year olds I worked with this Season are all doing a great job of trying to make more positive choices for their personal development .

Some are doing better , because something has clicked for them in a “drama way” and I doubt they’ll go back to old habits , less challenging ways .

Others amongst you , will I know , be in danger of slipping off the Road without keeping your eyes on the warning sign posts that point to a better way . Making better choices . Not letting fleeting success go to your head. Realising you have a long way to go still .

Maybe I did play you all off one another as show groupings …competition is the stuff of life and a little now and again , always reminds you to push harder for things that are easily achievable with better more focused mindsets .

WHALE was of its spirited time
TROJANS was in a whole different other …of its time too

But they are gone now . Great memories to treasure forever . And who better to think of with special memories than our childhood bear friend

What a load of POOH I hear you cry …but deep down inside , I know you’ll get the picture and its innocent meaning .

There are such excellent instructors in your House Leadership Team. There are also inspirational figures some with V status who are inspiring dynamic role models to aspire to become through this final Bespoke peer-lead Spires Theatre process.

I spoke to one Very worried house director recently and told her this : The Art of Winning Verona is not to have a Cup handed to you to lift High.

The “Art of Winning Verona” is looking round at every single one of your Cast on stage with you and knowing deep down in your very heart and soul , that you know them , that you could not have given any more of your self to them , that they could not have known you more or given you more of themselves in return .

That is really winning the Verona Challenge . That lasts longer than the holding of a Cup in a momentary High .

It is unfair that one house will lose when I know that you both will deserve to win .

The decision is going to be made by 8 seperate individuals’ personaltaste . 8 people who say – I like it , I don’t . As simple as a Thumb Up in Social Media land …if maybe a little more thought given than doing what’s just popular .

A billion to one odds that this is in your favour .

Their taste …their decision on their voting slip.

Once you understand this , you will know that winning has to mean more than the holding of a cup . It has to be about what you gave on this day , in your Verona Play . What you went above and beyond for !

Please don’t make it as nothing , as just a winner and loser .

Please make it the most wonderful show experience you have had this year

Better than “Our Princess Rose”
Better than Trojans
Better than all the other wonderful PerformanceMoments that have come to pass …

Make it your Own

I am with you finally in VX1 BRIEF Spirit

Now my Lions . Go make me PROUD

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

X

Share this:

Like this:

17 Responses to Fire

I personally cannot believe that's me been in pace for 3 years! 3 years of constant ups and downs, doubting myself then coming back fighting, having a great rehearsal then having an off day. It has been so great though!
As I was out of pace for part of the term due to not doing whale, It makes me So confused as to how that's the year finished?! But as a new pace years comes, I have relised so many things that I can take with me. I understand that even as I gain experience, I'm not just going to automatically get better I need to keep the same attitude of wanting to get better and wanting to learn from others and what I do. I'm loving Verona and will be upset when it's all over!
Still can't believe that it been another pace year!!
Lucy x

I truly hope Spires lives on, with YEARS to come. It's vibrant, positive and motivating atmosphere has helped so many Spires members past and present. Just looking at the reviews on PACE's Facebook page shows just how many people have been grateful and proud to have once walked through Spires doors, to have grown and learnt so many valuable lessons in life. Ex-Members, who through PACE, have learnt to trust their gut.
We have to stay alert at all times. There's no telling when somebody might give in to a complacent mind. It's not unusual to end up thinking the hard-work you may have done now, has laid down the stepping stones going on into the rest of your life.
In life, we have to work to achieve things. Nothing is actually ACCOMPLISHED unless we're able to look back on the hardships and the sacrifices we made to have a successful outcome.
Also really like the quote by Robert Frost. It's hard to imagine what life will be like after Verona, or after PACE, or even in the next 10 years - but what we do now will most likely determine the denouement.
Ross

This blog touched really close to home for me (literally)(I could be wrong, but I think they're my L plates), but more so because pace over the years has become not just a very close part of my life but a very big part of who I am as a person. And it is very hard for me to think that one day, sooner than I think, I won't be a part of this big chunk of my life anymore and instead there will be new people, budding roses I see rising right now, that will walk a similiar but their own spires path. I've come to realise that I will never let pace go though. Just like a family member would, it has shaped me and made me the person I am today. It's got me through the roughest points I've faced and made me stronger and braver but it's also where I've made the closest friends and a best friends for life. Friends that know me for me and friends that when I go onstage I have an immediate bond with that will never go away. Pace has been my happy and my safe place, my place where I made the best memories that I remember so closely and the place where I looked up as a young girl to people I viewed so amazingly above me to where I am today a Verona director that is now looked to for inspiration who is really just a recent 17year old still trying to learn. I once said that pace was like a therapy session and it couldn't be truer, it's where I've come to learn things about myself that have helped me be a bigger and more open person. I've realised I am a lazy person and a close minded person and extremely stubborn. I doubt myself majorly and long to please not only my mum but also everyone around me. I still like everyone else have the fear that I'm not good enough or that I can't act. I've had dips and have been part of the downfall of a room. I've been unfocused and I've been selfish. And most recently this year I've been lazy and not given as much as I could to the spires scene while I waited to be given the attention I had before. But as this post says it's how you return from this and make right the wrongs and move on to better and higher places. And while I still have my moments and forget to listen and to get out of my own brain and be braver- I believe I am trying. The past few weeks have been the most trying and stressful weeks of my life maybe but they've also been the best. Verona is difficult and directing is difficult but without the people around me it wouldn't be the same and certainly wouldn't be as easy. I think I've forgotten the fact that yes, I'm in a high position that demands a lot of responsibility and has a lot of pressure but I've been through it before since I was 8 years old except instead of watching by the sidelines I'm now in the centre. It's simply a different position that as elpheba would say from wicked- I've just got to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap. It's truly all I've ever wanted to do ever since I was a wee girl, and now my moments here I've just got to open up and be brave. Thankyou for restoring my faith and Thankyou for the trust that both you and people have placed in me, now and over the years. I won't let you down x

To thine own self be true . In you go part "I" - Do us both proud and remember if you can do a verona acting scene " in French " as a ten year old . You cam lead this House gloriously
X
Thanks you also for being honest about confessing your little slips

Pace has been the special powder to my simple heated log. So many of the things that I have always wanted to do, I have done as a result of being in Spires. Finding my creativity my passion for the arts and tapping into that scary word - culture. I have always been a creative person, I've always loved the arts and I have always loved the idea of culture - but before I really got involved in Pace I hadnt been given a platform to discover and reach these new depths. Having this platform and trying to get as much out of it as I can has opened my eyes up to so many new things. I had never heard of a scandi before. I had only written essays. I had watched maybe 3 foreign films. I was insecure and not confident at all. I felt like I hadnt discovered myself yet, who I was or where I wanted to go, what my 'purpose' was. I thought I was stupid! All of these things have changed , to varying degrees, and I can honestly from the bottom of my heart it wouldnt have happened without Spires. And if Spires is always about the people who make it up - its the people who have surrounded me from day 1 that have helped me make that change. And it's not in a 'friendship' way when I say that I have made bonds with people here, it's less of a social thing and more of a connection. More spiritual, perhaps, but I don't want to sound too pretentious. I think that the relationships you create with people in the space, they go beyond having a laugh and just liking each other, its a deeper connection on a deeper level - where you trust one another and help each other get through tougher times and "Lift each other higher". It's different to but doesn't exclude friendship. Its deeper. Its more meaningful. It's more important. Its holding someones hand and looking at them and knowing that they understand what you're going through and are going to try their hardest to push you to your potential, and you are trying to do the same for them.
I still have a long way to go before the first night. I am scared and nervous. But now, as we get closer and closer to showtime, with more dancing and more to learn, I feel a lot of pressure. And thats a good thing, because I work well under pressure. When I feel like I've 'got it' when I feel comfortable, when I feel like I know it... That's when I fail as a performer and as a contributor during rehearsals. Perhaps its because when you are under pressure, you act more on your gut instinct, you are on your toes, you are never comfortable, you make snap decisions, you just HAVE to go for something, you dont have time to faff around - thats when the coal turns into diamonds.
The spires road, the road less travelled that I have chosen to take, will never end for me. Even after I leave. And thats the permanence within change that I want, and have struggled to find many other places. Thank you X

This year has been filled with ups and downs for me, but I am so gladded that it was. I admit I've not been happy all the way through the year, there certainly were a lot of nights where I would go home feeling terrible, but I think that I have maybe come out the other end better for it.
Spires has become a very special part of my life and has helped me grow as a person and develop personally, in this last year or two I've become much more confident and change hugely as a person. Its been an amazing experience. I hope I can continue to grow and change by taking part in Spires projects in future years.
Spires is a place where I can truly be myself and forget about, to be honest I struggle to fit in in school, and other places outside of PACE and it is such a relief to be able to come in and almost be myself, and feel like I can speak to people.
Spires is truly special to me and I really hope I don't lose it in future years. Thank You so much X

Another PACE year and what a year it has been! I feel like so much has happened and it certainly has been a rollercoaster ride BUT I love rollercoasters the highs are thrilling but the dips just make you more eager to push yourself back upwards. Over the past few months I have really committed myself to pushing the boundaries and taking myself down that road less travelled and yes it is scarey but I know I have lots of people in the same position who are there to support me along the way.
Since starting PACE five years ago I can honestly say that is the one place where I feel "safe" and feel like I truly fit in; I am one of those awkward 11-14 year olds trying to navigate my way round a sometimes confusing world and love that I have PACE to escape to.
I am proud to be taking part in VX1 this year and know that no matter what happens come judgement night we will all be there together to support each other and will be proud of what we achieve because we will have done it together.
Before I finish off, just a wee note to Abby, during the PACE year Mhairi asked us to fill out a questionnaire answering different questions and one of them was to name someone from PACE who inspired me and although there are many I put my answer as you; that answer hasn't changed so if you feel like you're ever having an off PACE moment know that you have inspired me (and I'm sure others) and hopefully this will help you reach the top of the rollercoaster again ?
Love Meg xx

This year has been amazing I have learnt so much, everything from how bees kill hornets to thing I didn't know about myself before. Through this year I have changed so much, had down but been pulled up by others, hopefully helped pull others up and have come out the other side with a new freedom I have found in myself. Most importantly, I have loved every second of it and have made memories I will treasure forever!
Pace means so much to me and is a part of me. It is a place where i am never safe, never sure of what could happen next, always on my toes. It, however is the place in the world where I always feel safe, nothing on the outside matters, the people around me all want the same thing, all have the same passion and hunger. That feeling is something I know I will never stop feeling, never let go of! Xx
Verona is something so new, so different. I am working with so many different people, so many older, people that I can look up to. Everyone there is so determined, so driven. The atmosphere as amazing to be around and come June I can't wait to share that moment on stage with them all. I am scared, nervous but most of all ecstatic!!
I am so exited to see what the rest of this year and next year has to come!! Xx

This blog made me really happy to read it made me think about how far we have all came since this time last year. I was in green group with heather mcinnes and since then i have performed in my 2nd panto performed for princess anne performed in Whale and i am ridding on the verona rollercoster. But its not just the the projects that i have taken part in its about how much i have grown as a performer. I have noticed that each year i improve more so in my first year i improved but in my second year i improved more and that possibilities are endless of we can acomplish next year. However i realize that i may have slightly lifted my foot of the pedal even if it was just for a second after reading this it gave me a big wake up call and i cant wait untill rehearsils tomorrow to really roar. Also during summer "WillFest" to go 150% and do everything i can to reach my spires goal and get a head start for next year.
Olivia xxx

My PACE 2015/16 has been the most wild year yet. It has been the year I have changed the most as a person and actor. I have had so many highs this year and some lows as well. After Odessy stopping I had a very long break between that and Verona. I know that I lost myself as a person and as an actor in that time period, but I feel like after Pan I was getting back to the girl who had so much passion for something that she loves and what she wants to do in the future. Also earlier on in the year doing CAPMON and Panto were amazing. Being able to work with such talented people has made such a difference in the way I see things. I also feel like working with Abby in the past 2 projects and Verona have really made me think about what I need to do to achieve my potential. The stuff that Abby says is sooo helpful and sometimes people don't appreciate that. This year has also been a big year for friendships. I have made so many more friends this year that I know will never loose. I have experienced new things with these people and we don't only have an off stage connection but also an on stage one which is an amazing things to have. I am very excited to see what next year has in store for me and I know that it will not be smooth sailing, but that just adds to the excitement and challenging year ahead. Also thank you for getting me back.
Cara xx

This is a hard comment for me to write as, in some ways, I know my Spires journey will have to come to an end soon (very soon). But I don't see it as my departure from PACE, I see it as one door closing, and another opening, I have no idea what or where or when that door will show itself to me, but I have faith it will. Spires will always be in my heart, my second home, a place I will always be most comfortable to be my true self and I will never "leave", I'll take my Spires journey with me everywhere. I've made friends for life here, because they've seen me at my worst and at my best. This has made me who I am today and yes, I've fallen (a lot) along the way and I've had to pick myself back up so many times but it was all 1000% worth it.
I'm so excited for VX1. What a show to go out on. I can't wait to be on that stage with my house and feel that energy, love and PRIDE. I can't wait to feel the victory, knowing that we put on a show that is the best we could possibly do. Knowing that Abby and Garth are proud of us for what we have produced, "and we'll stand together side by side..."
I would like to personally thank you Mhairi, for everything that you've done for me in the past 5 years, believing in me from day one and never taking your foot off the pedal, even when I did. It has made me the strong person I know I am and it has made me ready to go out and face this cruel world, you really have been my Theatre Mom.
Erin x

What a season this year has been, one that I didn't expect to be honest. This season started us off with a pilot episode of something new, something we haven't done before. Of course, many were unsure about this, our natural scene order was mixed up. But as we let it flow we became caught up in this new movement and looking back now it really was the best opening yet. And as the episodes went on as we traveled to the fairy woods, magic, wonder, and self discovery could be found. And even though for some the side plot ran thin, in a Gargoylish way, each to their own I say. What would a good series be without a few plot twists, characters dropping out and leaving our doors, for better? for worse? Either way, when one pillar falls it's up to the rest of the supporting beams to take that weight, making foundations stronger and making a more secure structure. We've had a few TV specials, "the one with the whale" and "Spring Watch: Troy edition", each bringing there own plot to the storyline enhancing it and brining a new energy and also new hope for a 2nd season. Now however, we are reaching our finale, the build up to the end, the most dramatic part. Which way will it go? What will the outcome be ? #team...... Whatever happens at the end we can't predict now, we are not the TV Gods but I feel the best bit about a programme is going back and rewatching it all again. And that's what's important. This year for me personally has be less performance heavey but for development in my perosn and in other areas off the stage is what I've gained. And that's just as important. I'm glad I watched this series, I'm glad it was recommended to me but oh my god I can't wait for season 2!!!

Pace is incredible I don't know what I would do with out it. It feels like yesterday I walked into spires for the first time, wondering whether or not I would fing a home here and thankfully I did. This session has changed me the most mainly in good ways. I have learned about stage craft from pan, unity as a cast from whale and passion from Verona. I know drama is something that I know I will always love. I cannot wait until the Verona shows and i know no matter what I will go on to that stage and try my absolute hardest.

This year has been amazing for me, not in spite of the difficult moments, but because of them. I feel like I have grown so much, both on stage and off. Sleeping Beauty, Odessey (despite it's briefness) Trojans, and my first (and unfortunately last) Verona. I'm sad to be leaving Pace this summer, especially as I just feel like I've finally found my place in Pace, and now I have to go.
I've been in Pace for a long time (11-12 years I think) and it has helped me in so many ways, to become a better, more confident, more cultured, more intelligent person, and I know that even though I'm stepping off the Pace-related "road less travelled", everything I've done in Pace will help me to find a new one, whatever it might be.
I'm so excited for VX1, whether Capulet win or not I can't wait to get on stage and give the best show possible, because that's the real victory, and it means more than just lifting a cup. Just knowing that we've all done our best to create this collective drama experience. I can't think of a better way to say goodbye.

What a pace year it has been. I've seen so many people grow and develop around me and I feel like I too have grown. This term started with Mecury project and then odyssey began shortly after, hopefully it can return after summer, the two of which may have been short, but it started off a year that taught me so much. Experiences that I definitely needed. This year has been the hardest year I have had in pace but also possibly the greatest. I understand so much more be it what goes on in the background, about myself, about others or many other things. I feel a real change in myself inside pace and out. Trojans showed me how hard you have to work to achieve something really worth achieving because something that comes easy doesn't feel nearly as satisfying as something that you worked so hard for. Trojans brought everyone to their lowest, for a while it was the worst I had ever felt about my performance and yet, we got back up, we kept fighting and we got there in the very last moment. The moment that really mattered. I feel like Trojans will be brought up for a long time from now because it was such an experience for everyone and I know it was for me. It was something that I needed and I'm so glad that I stayed on and finished, I got exams out the way and kept that fight all the way to the end. I didn't give up and neither did others. Which is why it worked and it's why I know now what is needed for a performance to be truely great which is something that I will remember forever. Now to end this "learning" season. VXI, my first Verona, possibly a bigger learning experience than everything so far. I hope that I can use everything I have learned this year and add to it. Surely I will learn so much from all the incredible people that stand beside me in our house. Once Verona is done. This season will come to an end and I will be ready for an all new and hopefully equally, if not better, season after summer.
See you all soon.
Greg

This year has been a very eventful one. I have learned so much about myself and how to apply myself in many way. May it be on stage or behind the scenes. I throughly believe if you apply yourself to something you will come out with a outcome far better than hoped. Yes I can admit, I have had a few falls but none that haven't taught me a more valuable lesson. I am still learning and continuing to learn. One thing that I have loved this year is being around a new generations. Something so fresh and full of exceptional potential providing me inspiration each day. I also learnt that culture is the key to a more open and far more vast knowledge to your performance future. To think of how close minded at the start of the year and how far I come is so amazing to see. So yes this year has been a year of lessons and I am still currently learning and applying myself and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. To many more great years to come! X